Sheriff Hemlock catches the coin pouch tossed to him by Elyra with a surprised grunt. Opening the pouch to examine its contents, the Sheriff immediately frowns and looks up, the furrows in his dark brow deepening. "Stinks, indeed. Help for the wounded and their families seems right and good in my eye." The sheriff nods at Elyra then returns his attention to dispensing orders to the men assembled in front of the city offices. ". . .careful down in them junk heaps, lots of hidey holes. Careful what ye turn over. . .back up here at sundown. . .now go."

Mayor Deverin leaves her post at the door to approach Sheriff Hemlock. With a quiet word to the sheriff's ear, the mayor outstretches her white hand to take the nattered goblin pouch of gold from the lawman. For his part, Sheriff Hemlock says or does nothing, but hands the pouch to the mayor without protest. As the sheriff and his men leave, the mayor heads back inside the city office buiding and shuts the front door.

Tac Abor, human rogue

As the group sets out, Tac runs back to where he dropped his bow and retrieves it.

"Hope I don't need it, mind, but you never know, right?"

later, at the city offices...

Tac gulps audibly at the talk of more goblins, and worse--of a goblin benefactor. But as both his cousin and the woman he's supposed to 'keep out of trouble' for the Chief Engineer both volunteer, the young engineer nods.

Heading north and east along Cliff Street, the sounds of gulls crying echoes through the early evening fog that now gathers in deep spots along the byway. Off to the left, the open ocean can be glimpsed over the clifftop through narrow passageways between thatched-roof abodes. Just past The Way North, where the wizened old gnome Veznutt Parooh sells maps and the occasional sea chart out of his living room parlor, Cliff Street and Church Street intersect in front of The White Deer, a sizable tavern and inn overlooking the Varisian Gulf to the north. Unlike most of the structures in Sandpoint, The White Deer is three stories in height with a stone first story and two wooden upper floors. The owner proprietor, a Shoanti man named Garridan Viskalai, keeps a clean and spacious inn with prices comparable to what Ameiko Kaijitsu charges at The Rusty Dragon. Despite the quality of The White Deer, however, Garridan's gruff attitude and oftentimes melacholy family prevent The Deer from attaining popularity amongst the locals. Mostly travels stay at The Deer.

[imagel]http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/706/goblindog.jpg[/imagel]As the group--led by Sandstone--walk down Cliff Street toward The White Deer, it quickly becomes apparent that someone's in trouble, for the sounds of a frantically barking dog fill the air, as do the more gutteral all-too-familiar growls of a team of goblins. Slowing to a footpad pace, the group spots a cluster of four goblins cowering--clawed hands clapped over their ears to ward off the madly barking dog--behind a stack of empty crates in front of the tavern. Directly in front of the wooden double doors of the Inn, a very large and brawny-looking goblin in studded leather wielding what appears to be a small-sized halberd sits perched atop a particularly foul dog-like creature. The "dog" has a flat nose, beady eyes, the protruding teeth of a rat grown grotesquely large, and a long hairless pink tail nearly the length of whip--all of which lend the unpleasant beast the air more of vermin than of dog.

The large mounted goblin has a human man trapped behind a rain barrel, while the human's hunting dog bravely fights on behalf of his master. As the group closes in on The White Deer, the mounted goblin charges for the hunting dog and, lunging forward a hair with its halberd, gores the hunting dog in the belly. As a blue pile of the hunting dog's innards spill forth to the ground, the team of four goblins hiding behind the lettuce crates in front of the tavern yop and cheer for their fearless leader. The mounted goblin hefts its miniature halberd and croaks a victory yop to the evening sky. As their cries of victory die in the thickening fog, the goblins turn their yellowed eyes to the human hiding behind the rain barrel.

Status: All goblins are focused on the human man hiding behind the rain barrel and are oblivious to the party. Each of you have the advantage of a surprise round.[imager]http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8931/combat3a.jpg[/imager]

Talashia frowned. The goblins were all way too far for a lightning blast. But she'd learned a little something while at school....couldn't do it for long, but maybe she wouldn't have to.

She held her hands close to each other and incanted. Light blossomed between her palms. Not the eye-searing blue-white of electricity, but rather a much more calming violet-blue shade. It gathered into a small sphere about the size of one of her fists, then soared off away from Talashia, traveling in crazy swoops and circles until it hit the goblin rider squarely!